This forum is now closed. Read the archived postings below, and continue the discussion by posting new comments on the Voices on Genocide Prevention blog — where Jerry Fowler interviews human rights defenders, experts, advocates, and government officials each week and posts occasional blog entries on the crisis in Darfur and genocide prevention around the world today.
Kristin
April 16, 2006 10:10 PM
Short of the United States being involved militarily in Darfur, are there specific alternative interventions we can do, i.e. cut off aid to the countries that are supporting the oppressors? What can we do to make the U.S. and the rest of the world want to stop genocide? Obviously for moral reasons people should intervene, but policy makers have more to consider other than morals; so is there a way to show the world that it is beneficial to them to stop the genocide? Many see that by getting involved they are using power to help someone else, when they could be using that power to help themselves. And if ordinary people want to help because their government is slow to act, is there specific things at our level we can do to directly help the people of Darfur?
Jennifer
April 17, 2006 08:14 AM
As a high school English teacher, I have been teaching about the Holocaust for four years (three since attending a Belfer conference at USHMM). This year I am including a service learning component in my unit; right now, this consist of teaching a lesson plan on Darfur via the USHMM website and sending postcards about Darfur to the Hill and the White House.
Is this enough?
The young are passionate . . . compassionate; they want to help. How can we use high school (even middle school) students to make a difference?
Kerry Gorman
April 17, 2006 09:51 AM
Please make everyone aware that the divestment campaigns in the United States are picking up steam. Within the past few weeks the Sudanese ambassador wrote an open letter to the the divestment campaign organizers in the US, basically saying that Sudan is not South Africa and that they are actively working toward peace...... what round of peace talks are we in now? The various divestement campaigns are working! Please join us! In North Carolina go to http://www.ncdivest.com
Thank you
Leslie
April 17, 2006 06:09 PM
The Janjaweed are evil.
This is a shocking thing for me to say, but...
suppose the US helped the poor, wretched killers that are joining the Janjaweed...to make a living...helped them by training them so they could help themselves economically. They would then be less apt to do the government's dirty work and less apt to be bribed.
On one of the video clips on this website, a Janjaweed was shown handcuffed on the ground. He was killing members of his own tribe for $200.
